Decorating beautiful layer cakes is easier than you think! Baking blogger and Content Creator, Chelsweets shares three simple yet stunning ways to decorate a cake, along with everything you need to know to perfect these techniques.
Demonstrate one of the three bag striping techniques: Double bag swirl, brush and spatula, 7. Learn the three essentials of cake decorating: icing consistency, bag position and pressure control.
I have something very exciting to tell you. There are three tools than will help you frost and decorate your cakes so that they look good enough to sell in a bakery! Without them, not even I can make cakes look good – and I’ve been professionally baking and decorating cakes for over 25 years! Not only does each item have its own list of benefits, but together they form a powerhouse triad for cake decorating.
OK this is the pricey item. The type I am recommending costs about $50 (I have an Ateco). These hold your cake and spin it around for you, facilitating the application of frosting. Now, lightweight and inexpensive lazy-susans spin too, but they really do not work as effectively and here is why: the models I suggest have a very heavy base; many are cast iron. A heavy base means the turntable wont move on your work surface during use. The part that spins (I prefer a round one although they come in rectangles too) should be sturdy too, strong enough to hold a very heavy tier. (Believe me, when you are working with a filled 14-inch tier for a celebration cake you don’t want the turntable platform to give way!) And the action of the spin needs to be smoooooooth. The fact that these more professional models are raised up off of the base, as opposed to flat lazy-susans, also makes it easier for you to apply frosting. You lay out the money once and a good turntable will last you a lifetime and give you years of much more enjoyable cake decorating time – and help you make prettier cakes to boot.
* Use an icing spatula to apply frosting to top of cake layer or to apply filling. The icing spatula can be used to get the frosting from the bowl to the cake, then, glide the icing spatula over the frosting/ganache/filling, never allowing the spatula to touch the cake surface, because it might pick up crumbs. By using the spatula to spread the frosting around, the crumbs will stay between the cake and the frosting that’s touching the cake and they won’t come up to the surface of the frosting where we might see them.
Hi, I’m Dédé Wilson, professional recipe developer, cookbook author, low FODMAP diet educator and I am thrilled to meet you. Learn more here…
Now, here’s how the three tools come together to create a cake decorating system that I would never be without.
Decorating beautiful layer cakes is easier than you think! Baking blogger and Content Creator, Chelsweets shares three simple yet stunning ways to decorate a cake, along with everything you need to know to perfect these techniques.
There are two methods you can use to add drips to a cake. The first method uses a spoon to slowly push the ganache over the edge of the cake to make each drip. This method is great because it gives you a lot of control over each drip, and all you need is a spoon.
As you pipe each rosette, hold your piping bag perpendicular to the side of the cake. Start where you want the middle of the rosette to be and pipe outward in a spiral. Make sure you pipe each rosette in the same direction and try to make them similar in size to give your cake a cohesive look.
10 Tips for your First Cake
FAQ
What do you think are the 3 most important tools when decorating a cake?
What are the principles of cake decorating?
What do you need to decorate a cake?
You may also need scissors, a small spoon, parchment paper, paper towels, and some small rubber bands. Before you actually start decorating a cake, you can practice on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. This way, you can scrape off the buttercream, refill your bag, and start again–without the pressure of messing up a whole cake!
What tools do you need to decorate a cake?
With just a few tools, you can get started on your cake decorating journey. In fact, you may already have a few of these items lying around the kitchen. A cake turntable is a raised stand that rotates 360-degrees. This will let you spin the cake so the right side is always facing you. If you don’t have one, a Lazy Susan can also work in a pinch.
When should you decorate a cake?
It really is tempting to decorate as soon as your baked items come out of the oven. Don’t do it. You must wait for cakes to be completely cool before you start decorating. This is because the final texture and crumb are still developing as they cool. More importantly, your baked items must release all of their heat before you apply any toppings.
What do you learn in Part 2 of cupcake decorating?
In Part 2, Stephanie introduces you to the world of decorating tips and bags. Using cupcakes as your canvas, you will learn how to bake, core and fill cupcakes, then top them off with buttercream swirls, rosettes, dots, loops, lines and more.